Case packer

ABSTRACT

A case loader, particularly for glassware, including a gripper assembly comprising a plurality of parallel arms each including an expansible diaphragm distendable toward a similar diaphragm on an adjacent arm, and a motor for moving the gripper assembly between a ware receiving station and a ware delivering station either by rectilinear motion or by arcuate motion.

United States Patent 1 1,

Zappia I 51 July 30, 1974 CASE PACKER Anthony T. Zappia, 7576 lvywoodDr. Apt. A, Indianapolis, Ind. 46250 Filed: Jan. 4, 1973 App]. No.:321,003

Inventor:

13.5. C1. 214/1 BB, 53/161, 214/1 BD, 214/1 Q, 294/67 R Int. Cl. B65b21/22 Field of Search 214/1 BB, 309, 1 BD, 1 Q; 53/161, 243; 294/67 RReferences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ll/l967 Kronsbcin 294/87 X3,486,292 12/1969 Ninneman 2l4/l BD X Primary Examiner-Robert J. SparAssistant Examiner-George F. Abraham Attorney, Agent, or Firm Hood andCoffey [57] ABSTRACT A case loader, particularly for glassware,including a gripper assembly comprising a plurality of parallel armseach including an expansible diaphragm distendable toward a similardiaphragm on an adjacent arm, and a motor for moving the gripperassembly between a ware receiving station and a ware delivering stationeither by rectilinear motion or by arcuate motion.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATEN TED JUL 3 0 I974 SHEEF 2 BF 3 CASEPACKER In many glassware manufacturing plants, the annealed ware isconducted to a case loader which transfers the ware into a container inwhich it will be shipped. In some instances, it is desirable to deliverthe ware to such containers in an upright attitude while in otherinstances it is desirable to deposit the ware in the containers in aninverted attitude. Machines for performing each of these operations arewell known, but I believe there is no existing machine prior to myinvention which is capable of conversion, by a quick and easy manualadjustment, so to deliver the ware either bottom side down or bottomside up.

The primary object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a machinefor receiving glassware, in ranks and files, delivering the ware in suchcondition to a case, carton, tray or the like and which may be adjusted,by one man in a matter of seconds, to deliver the ware either upright orinverted.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel and improved meansto grip a large number of pieces of ware, arranged in ranks and files,to transfer the ware from a receiving station to a delivery station andto do so without significant waste.

Still further objects of the invention will appear as the descriptionproceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this inventionmay be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings,attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings areillustrative only, and that change may be made in the specificconstruction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of theappended claims is not violated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance withthe present invention and illustrating the machine motion whereby piecesof ware are transferred from the receiving station to a case-loadingstation, without inversion of the ware;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the same thing, showing the machinemotion whereby articles of ware are loaded into a carton in an invertedattitude;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the machine showing a quantity of ware grippedby the gripping means;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeralindicates a main frame providing parallel guide rods 11, ll'upon whichare slideably received parallel slide sleeves 12, 12 of a subframe. Aspring pressed pin 13 carried by each sleeve 12 is adapted, at times, toengage in a dent 14 carried on the main frame. I

Standards l5, 15, carried on the I'fiSPfiCIIlVBSlfiCVES 12, providejournal mountings for a shaft 16 and a pin- 6 ion 17 is fixed to theshaft 16.

A gripper assembly 18 embodies or is fixed. to the shaft 16 andcomprises lateral, rearwardly extending parallel arms 19 and 20 joinedby a base 21 which is disposed substantially on the axis of the shaft16. i

The base 21 is formed with a longitudinal slot 33. In the illustratedembodiment of the invention, the assembly includes five identical arms22 arranged between end arms which will be described. Each arm 22comprises a relatively rigid plate 23 having its proximal end receivedin a groove 51 in one face of a block 52 pro- .vided on its oppositeface with a batten 53, said batten 53 being receivable and slidablysupported in the slot 33. A notch 24 is cut in the end of the plate 23for a reason which will appear.

A rubberoid, elastic diaphragm 25 is laid against one face of the plate23, a stainless steel ring 26 is then laid against the outer face of thediaphragm. A'similar'diaphragm 27 is laid against the opposite face ofthe plate 23 and a ring 28 is positioned to overlie the perimetralregion of the diaphragm 27. Now, through the medium of multiple rivets29, the assembly of plate 23, diaphragms 25 and 27 and rings 26, 28 issecured together to define an airtight space between the diaphragms intowhich the notch 24 opens. A hole 54 through the block 52 and batten 53registers with the notch 24. A nozzle 30 is positioned partly within thenotch 24 and communicates with a fitting 55 which, in turn, isthreadedly received in the hole 54.

Two feet 56 are positioned on opposite sides of the hole 54 and apressure member 57 spans and bears against the outer surfaces of saidfeet. A nut 32 is threaded on the outer end of the fitting 55 to bearagainst the pressure member 57. A flexible conduit 31 is connected toeach fitting 55 and leads to a source of air under pressure (not shown).The end arms of the assembly are identical with the intermediate armsexcept that a rigid plate 50 replaces one diaphragm in each of the endarms.

It will be apparent that, when air under pressure is supplied to thegripper arms, the several diaphragms will be expanded or bulgedoutwardly so that articles disposed between adjacent arms will beflexibly and resiliently gripped between the diaphragm 25 of one arm andthe diaphragm 27 of the next adjacent arm. By varying the pressure ofthe air supplied to the gripper elements, the amount of grippingpressure applied to articles such as, for instance, the bottles 46 canbe infinitely varied.

A fluid motor comprises two relatively reciprocable elements. As shown,the cylinder 37 is fixed to the frame 10 and the piston rod 38 carriesat its distal region a rack 39 suitably supported by guide means 40 andmeshing with the pinion 17.

As shown, a conveyor 41 is arranged to bring bottles 46 to the gripperassembly 18 in ranks 48 of six bottles and files 49 of four bottles.When, for instance, four such ranks have been accumulated, thediaphragms will be inflated to grip all of the bottles and the fluidmotor 37 will be energized. If the detent pin 34 is engaged in its notchor dent 35 and the detent means 13 is retracted, forward movement of therack 39 will carry the carriage l2 forward or to the left. as viewed inFIG. 1, since the pinion 17 is restrained against rotation. The strokeof the motor 37 is so calibrated that its forward movement will carrythe bottles 46 into registry with a carton, tray or the like which isdisposed in an elevated position at the loading station.

As is perhaps most clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a transverseconveyor 42 underlies the loading station. Empty cartons, cases or thelike arrive at the loading station on the conveyor 42 and are liftedsuccessively to a suitable elevation by a pair of arms 43 actuable'by alever 44 controlled by a fluid motor 45. When the loaded gripperassembly registers with a container 47 at a proper elevation, air willbe exhausted from the spacers between the diaphragms 25 and 27, wherebythe bottles will be released to drop into the container. Now, thecontainer is relowered to the conveyor 42, the carriage 12 is returnedto its solid line position of FIG. 1 and the above cycle willberepeated.

If, however, the pin 13 is engaged with its dent 114 and the pin 34 isretracted, the carriage 12 will be held against reciprocation, thepinion 17 will be freed for rotation and the advance of the rack 39 willturn the pinion 17 in a counterclockwise direction to swing the arms 19through an arc of 180. The parts are so proportioned and designed thatthe position of the gripper means after such turning movement willregister with a receptacle 47 on the arms 43; and if air is exhaustedfrom between the diaphragms of the gripper means, the bottles will bedropped into the receptacle in inverted attitude. Retraction of thepiston rod 38 will, of course, return the pinion 17 to the position ofFIG. 1.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a subframe mounted onsaid frame for reciprocation relative thereto, a transverse shaftjournalled on said subframe for selective reciprocation therewith oroscillation relative thereto, gripper means fixed to said shaft, apinion fixed to said shaft, a fluid motor comprising a cylinder elementand a piston element, one of said elements being fixed relative to saidframe and the other of said elements being reciprocable relative to saidone element and carrying a rack meshing with said pinion, means forselectively restraining said subframe against reciprocation, and meansfor selectively restraining said gripper means against oscillation aboutthe axis of said shaft.

2. In a loading machine, gripper means for receiving,

common attitude, a delivery station, means for mounting said grippermeans for selective reciprocatory movement or oscillatory movementthrough an arc of between said stations, and means for shifting saidgripper means, said gripper means being relaxed at said delivery stationto deposit said articles either in said common attitude or in a commoninverted attitude.

3. The machine of claim 2 in which said gripper means comprises aplurality of equally-spaced arms, each arm having at least onelaterally-expandable surface mating with an expandable surface on anadjacent arm, and means for expanding said mating surfaces to griparticles located therebetween.

4. The machine of claim 3 including means for delivering articles tosaid gripper means in ranks and files and in which such arrangement ofarticles is maintained by said gripper means through the depositingstep.

5. The machine of claim 2 in which the means for shifting said grippermeans comprises a frame, a subframe mounted on said frame forreciprocation between registry with said receiving station and registrywith said delivery station, a shaft carried by said subframe andextending transversely of the path of said subframe, said gripper meansbeing carried by said shaft, a rotor fixed to said shaft, a fluid motorincluding a reciprocable element, means operatively connecting saidreciprocable element with said rotor, means manipulable to restrain saidsubframe against reciprocating movement with said reciprocable element,and other means manipulable to restrain said rotor against turningmovement.

6. The machine of claim 1 in which the gripper means comprises aplurality of substantially parallel, substantially equally laterallyspaced supports, that side of each support which faces another supportincluding an inflatable diaphragm, and means for inflating saiddiaphragms.

1. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a subframe mounted onsaid frame for reciprocation relative thereto, a transverse shaftjournalled on said subframe for selective reciprocation therewith oroscillation relative thereto, gripper means fixed to said shaft, apinion fixed to said shaft, a fluid motor comprising a cylinder elementand a piston element, one of said elements being fixed relative to saidframe and the other of said elements being reciprocable relative to saidone element and carrying a rack meshing with said pinion, means forselectively restraining said subframe against reciprocation, and meansfor selectively restraining said gripper means against oscillation aboutthe axis of said shaft.
 2. In a loading machine, gripper means forreceiving, at a receiving station, a plurality of like articles, meansfor causing said gripper means to grip said articles in a commonattitude, a delivery station, means for mounting said gripper means forselective reciprocatory movement or oscillatory movement through an arcof 180* between said stations, and means for shifting said grippermeans, said gripper means being relaxed at said delivery station todeposit said articles either in said common attitude or in a commoninverted attitude.
 3. The machine of claim 2 in which said gripper meanscomprises a plurality of equally-spaced arms, each arm having at leastone laterally-expandable surface mating with an expandable surface on anadjacent arm, and means for expanding said mating surfaces to griparticles located therebetween.
 4. The machine of claim 3 including meansfor delivering articles to said gripper means in ranks and files and inwhich such arrangement of articles is maintained by said gripper meansthrough the depositing step.
 5. The machine of claim 2 in which themeans for shifting said gripper means comprises a frame, a subframemounted on said frame for reciprocation between registry with saidreceiving station and registry with said delivery station, a shaftcarried by said subframe and extending transversely of the path of saidsubframe, said gripper means being carried by said shaft, a rotor fixedto said shaft, a fluid motor including a reciprocable element, meansoperatively connecting said reciprocable element with said rotor, meansmanipulable to restrain said subframe against reciprocating movementwith said reciprocable element, and other means manipulable to restrainsaid rotor against turning movement.
 6. The machine of claim 1 in whichthe gripper means comprises a plurality of substantially parallel,substantially equally laterally spaced supports, that side of eachsupport which faces another support including an inflatable diaphragm,and means for inflating said diaphragms.